Former Delhi law Minister Somnath Bharti’s wife lipika Moitra filed a case of domestic violence against her husband with Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Wednesday. She also lodged a police complaint in the evening.
Consequently, DCW Chairperson Bharka Singh Shukla served a notice on Bharti and summoned him to present himself before the commission by June 26. Earlier, in 2011, Bharti’s wife had complained about the same in Crime against Woman (CAW) cell.
“Moitra was mentally, physically and sexually abused by her husband Somnath Bharti. I am surprised that Bharti, who is also fighting the case of Kumar Vishwas in the court, has his wife come to us for justice,” said Shukla.
Moitra came to DCW around 4.30 pm and filed a written complaint in the commission office. Shukla reported that Bharti’s wife was badly beaten by him.
According to Shukla, Bharti lied to his wife that he was working with an international law company before marriage. The couple married in 2010. Situation became worse when Bharti’s wife realised that he lied to her about his profession.
“lipika is living with her mother in Dwarka. The former law Minister beat her for money. According to the complaint of his wife, he never gave expenditure for her daily needs,” Shukla added.
She further informed that Moitra is working with a Singapore based multinational company. But presently, her situation has become worse because of the regular financial demands by her husband. It is mentioned in her complaint that Bharti refused to give her the needed financial support.
“Instead of supporting his wife, Bharti demands money from her,” Shukla added.
She met Special Commissioner of Police Deepak Mishra with the complaint requesting him to probe into the matter. The complaint was forwarded to concerned Joint Commissioner of Police for further investigation.
On her part, lipika said she has been going through difficult time since 2010. “It will be difficult for me to summarise all these. It’s going on for a long time. It has been going on since 2010. I want separation; I want to be out from this marriage. I want to live with dignity with my children. It has been a continuous process through which I was going through,” she said.
Shukla assured that she will take further legal action if Bharti does not appear in the commission before the given date.
Bharti, an MlA from Malviya Nagar and a lawyer by profession, tweeted: “I am in Kerala for party work and shocked to learn from media about wife’s complaint. I am deeply pained to know that my wife gone to public forum regarding family matter.”
According to the lipika Moitra their daughter is facing mental trauma. Her four-year-old daughter, over and over again wake up in night and says, “I do not want Daddy anymore.”
Bharka Shukla has told to the reporters that she is writing a letter to Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, to give strict notice to Bharti for assuring financial support to his wife.